Múmia Abu-Jamal: Murderer

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Editor’s Note: Companion posts by Johanna Fernandezand Tigre Hill on Múmia Abu-Jamal are published today in conjunction with a program that will take place at the National Constitution Center on Friday, when the facility has been rented by the National Lawyers Guild. The program, organized and presented by the Guild, marks the 30th anniversary of the killing of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner and the incarceration of Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of the murder. Organizers of the event maintain Abu-Jamal’s innocence. This post first appeared on Nov. 29. On Wednesday prosecutors announced that they will no longer pursue the death penalty against Abu-Jamal, who will be re-sentenced to life in prison.

When I set out to make the film The Barrel of a Gun I figured that I would face a firestorm of criticism for daring to tell the facts in the story of Múmia Abu-Jamal and the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner. I was prepared to follow the facts wherever they led me. If only I could say the same for Múmia’s supporters.

Mumia Abu-Jamal (Photo via Flickr (c) Nolen Edmonston/Prison Radio)

When I started researching the case, read the court transcript and interviewed people who prosecuted the case, I came to the conclusion that Múmia Abu-Jamal was indeed guilty and did receive a fair trial. My film presented the cold, hard facts about the murder of a Philadelphia police officer, but Múmia’s supporters never let the facts get in the way of a bad argument.

So 30 years later I ask Múmia’s disciples, how can you deny the evidence? Four eyewitnesses saw all or part of the shooting and identified Abu-Jamal as the killer.

Abu-Jamal was found at the scene of the crime with a gun that was registered in his name. Abu- Jamal’s brother, William Cook, was stopped by Officer Faulkner for a traffic violation at 3:50 am, and Abu-Jamal was just across the street at the time of the traffic stop. Múmia ran to his brother’s aid and shot the policeman once in the back and then stood over the wounded officer and fired point-blank into Daniel Faulkner’s face.

It is vitally important to note that William Cook has never testified on behalf of his brother. In my film I interviewed Cook’s attorney, Daniel Alva, who said that he encouraged Cook not to testify to in order to avoid being drawn into a capital murder case. Cook took Alva’s advice and chose not testify.

So I ask you, if your brother was accused of capital murder and you were a witness to his innocence, wouldn’t you try to save him? Where was the Philly brotherly love between William Cook and Múmia? Why didn’t William ever testify?

The facts underscoring Múmia’s guilt are overwhelming. But there is also Múmia’s motivations to consider, and I explored this extensively in my film. Consider that Abu-Jamal comes from a radical, Marxist communist background. He was a member at a young age of the Black Panther Party and he idolized mass- murderer Mao Tse Tung. Mao is responsible for the genocide of more than 50 million Chinese. Remember also that the Panthers wanted to foment a violent revolution in the United States to overthrow the capitalist, racist system and saw cop-killing as a form of empowerment.

Although Múmia had no arrest record that stuck, he was no choir boy before the murder of Daniel Faulkner.

Yes, the U.S. had severe racial problems at the time, but our biggest gains as African Americans came not from cop-killing, but from civil disobedience and the ballot box and by persuading fellow Americans to change discriminatory laws – that is the American way that Martin Luther King, Jr., championed. But Múmia did not embrace non-violence, he embraced the barrel of a gun.

After the Panthers imploded, Abu-Jamal became a fanatical supporter and follower of John Africa and the anarchist cult-group MOVE. Múmia lost several news reporter jobs for his advocacy of MOVE after they killed police officer James Ramp in 1978.

Although Múmia had no arrest record that stuck, he was no choir boy before the murder of Daniel Faulkner. In fact, former Daily News reporter Kitty Capprella has reported that Múmia and a group of MOVE supporters once surrounded and beat her in an empty City Hall courtroom in the late ‘70s.

On Dec. 9, the 30th anniversary of the murder of Daniel Faulkner, a group of pro-Múmia supporters will gather at the National Constitutional Center to tell more lies and mistruths about Múmia’s supposed innocence and how, they believe, this killer has been railroaded by a capitalist, racist system.

It is fitting that the pro-Múmia gang chose the National Constitution Center as a place to celebrate thier constitutional right of free speech. Ironically, several of the guest speakers scheduled to appear at the event are either Marxist, Socialist or just plain anti-capitalist. Like Múmia, some of his most ardent supports cite Chairman Mao, sport T-shirts featuring the likeness of communist Che Guevara and admire dictators like Fidel Castro. In their own countries, neither Mao nor Castro would ever have allowed their own people to speak out against the political system. In fact, protesters in those countries could be jailed or “disappear.” You have to wonder if Abu-Jamal’s supporters ever consider the irony? In their own warped minds I’m sure they don’t.

I have been attacked by Múmia’s supporters for daring to exercise my right of free expression to make this film. They’ve used hateful words against me, like “Uncle Tom, sell-out, a black right-wing wacko, an FOP stooge.” I have always presented the facts of this case to the public in the most honest and respectful manner possible. It speaks volumes that Múmia’s delusional supporters choose to personally attack me, attack the criminal justice system and advance unproven theories rather than face the truth.

Tigre Hill is a Philadelphia filmmaker, whose documentary The Barrel of a Gun, explores the Múmia Abu-Jamal controversy.

Tiger well done I have just finish reading what U have written it is well put together , but sad to know that people lives was cut short by a person who did not care or value another person life…sad to even read where Mr.Faulkner R.I.P was shot on only in his back but in his face what did He do so wrong to be kill like that.

So you are an apologist for all cop-killers, not just Mummia? What a nice hobby. Seems to me that you are the slave; a slave of your own ideological “massa”. When you are willing to view the facts objectively, you’ll free yourself from the dogmatic fallacies of the radical left.

So you are an apologist for all cop-killers, not just Mummia? What a nice hobby. Seems to me that you are the slave; a slave of your own ideological “massa”. When you are willing to view the facts objectively, you’ll free yourself from the dogmatic fallacies of the radical left.

Thanks Tigre… well put… it’s easier for the Liberal supporters to attack the victim, Danny Faulkner, rather than attack the facts which speak for themselves. Unfortunately, this is a tried and effective method in our Criminal Justice system which only lends to the spiral of crime. RIP Danny, you are not forgotten.

Thanks Tigre… well put… it’s easier for the Liberal supporters to attack the victim, Danny Faulkner, rather than attack the facts which speak for themselves. Unfortunately, this is a tried and effective method in our Criminal Justice system which only lends to the spiral of crime. RIP Danny, you are not forgotten.

tiger please go on http://www.freemumia.com and read william cook declaration. he would be glad to testify anytime* he also.
states that Anthony Jackson did not ask him to testify at the original trial.**.
*number 43.
**number 39 & number 41 & number42.

Thomas, i find your assertion about attacking Danny not true.. to my knowledge i have never seen any pro
Mumia supporters attack Danny, in fact Pam Africa has always stated that the real murder of danny
should be bought to justice. please also read Arnold Beverly confession to the murder of danny in
which he states that Faulkner was a problem for the mob, (another word Danny was doing a good
job on spying on his own). if you wish, you can read Arnold Beverly whole confession on http://www.freemumia.com.

Thank You Tigre for your courage and your commitment to see that the truth of this case be known. I was working in the SWAT /STAKEOUT UNIT @ the the time on the Granny Squad in Center City during this time…..and was working also on the site of the! st MOVE event where P/O James Ramp who I worked with in the unit was slain….Two police officers slain by MOVE members & supporters..What started the whole Mumia is innocent thing is when a certain medical examiner, stepped out of his expertise and ID’d the bullet that killed Faulkner as a projectile larger than 38 cal., which would have meant if true ( which it wasn’t ) that it had to come from another gun….another shooter..Mumia had a 38 cal. revolver @ the scene registered to him….Any lead based projectile fired from a 2″ revolver will have it’s base expanded much larger than the original diameter. The caliber of a fired projectile (bullet) can only be determined by someone trained in this scientific field such as a Firearms Examiner , ( Ballistics ).

Jimmie Jack,
it appears that your side doesn’t want that anymore. the DA knows that if he gives Mumia a sentencing trial that it could lead to a new guilt & innocence trial. i really think your side is really scared
to face the truth. if you want to fry him, let him stand before 12 objective new jury persons.

His guilt has been upheld many times. this only has to do with his sentencing. It’s all a load of BS. he is guilty and should FRY! The Hero Police Officer’s wife agreed to this to end all the bs of lame ass liberals thinking they know what is going on!

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